US3380797A

US3380797A - Rigid core-wick candle and candle device

Info

Publication number: US3380797A
Application number: US581105A
Authority: US
Inventors: James R Summers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-09-21
Filing date: 1966-09-21
Publication date: 1968-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1985-04-30

Description

April 36, 1968 J. R. SUMMERS RIGID COREWICK CANDLE AND CANDLE DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1966 (a) 3 F|G.2h e1) 3 (e) (0& w FIG.2

z r 3 l0 6 FIG. 3

[.VVILYIUR. JAMES I? SUMMERS BY e ATTORNEY-5.

United States Patent 3,3se,797 RIGID CGRE-WKCK QANJLE AND CANDLE DEVECE James R. Summers, 353 E. Stith :Etu, New York, NY. 10322 Continuation 'in-part of application Ser. No. 389,3fl7, Aug. 13, 1364. This application Sept. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 581,165

4 Jlaims. (Cl. 431292) ABSTRACT 6F THE DISCLGSURE A rigid combination of a flame consumable core and a wick for use in fuel burning devices such as candles. The core serves to maintain itself erect. In a candle, the core provides rigidity to the candle. The rigid core also is able to support itself and devices which may descend on the core as the core is consumed by the flame on the wick.

Te present invention relates to improved rigidizecl candles and illuminating devices and rigidizing cores and for such devices and novel combinations with such devices and it is a continuation-impart of my co-pending Ser. No. 389,397 filed Aug. 13, 1964 now abandoned in favor of the present application.

In my United States patent application, Ser. No. 406,037 now abandoned in favor of my continuation-inpart application, Ser. No. 577,268, filed the 6th day of September 1966 is set forth candles, tapers and w'cks which are structurally-adapted to provide rigidity. Such rigidity may be imparted to a candle into which the invention is included or may be intrinsic to a taper.

The present invention relates to novel applications of rigid cores and wick devices and application of the rigidity provided by such cores with wicks, taking advantage of the rigidity provided.

The present invention ditfers principally from my Ser. No. 406,037 now abandoned in favor of my continuation-in-part application, Ser. No. 577,268, filed the 6th day of September 1966 in that rigidity is provided by a core structure in a burnable combination with a wick. The rigidity of the core portion of illuminating device may be applied to novel uses.

The strength of the core may be used to support the novel decoration combination of the present invention.

The need for rigidity in candles has been recognized in the past. In some instances rigidizing of wicks has been attempted and insofar as wicks have been concerned, the need has been dealt with by the provision of stilfeners such as thin cellulosic strips to wicks for votive candles so that such wicks could be mounted on supports to maintain them erect and avoid the unsupported wick from toppling over into a melted fuel pool and extinguishing itself. Such stiffeners have not provided more than a flexible stiffness as distinguished from rigidity to a wick or illuminating burning device.

A problem involved with stitleners of the past also has been that they have not been adapted for full consumption by the flame and often develop dirty globules of unconsumed matter which drop off into the wax pool. Cellulosic stifleners or other plastic cores have not been effective to provide rigidity since stiffener thicknesses sufiicient to provide rigidity have not been able to bend to reach the edge of the flame to burn or discharge the accumulated matter as with normal candle burning. Where the central stiffening portion of a wick is not consumed or dropped off, the exposed surrounding wicking may increase in size and increase flame size as the fuel body descends.

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In recognition of this problem, awkward attempts have been made to make certain that the stiffeners of the past were fully consumed. An attempt combining a helical winding of wicking about a guncotton stiffener raises a question as to the explosiveness of the guncotton. The complication of getting a helical Winding of wicking to burn the stiffener end, seems like a complicated method of achieving a simple result.

Prior expedients of using interwoven soft metal have stiffened wicks for their support as in votive candles, but have not produced a rigidity. Such Wicks have usually left a melted metal residue to dirty the fuel pool.

The core configurations of the present invention provide a new means of having a flame edge consume a core which is rigid enough to impart its strength to a candle or burning device or rigid enough for the core to be supported.

The composition of the core is not critical as long as the core may be consumed once brought to the flame edge, is rigid and of course non-explosive. The core and wick of the present invention are able to burn with a minimum of contamination of each other and of the fuel body and may in most instances be completely and clearly consumed.

Rigidizing cores employed in the present invention are burned under circumstances allowing almost complete consumption by either getting the core to the edge of the flame or being adapted to be at the edge of the flame for full consumption.

Where the core is surrounded by a capillary action wiclcing, the core must be consumed in order for the flame size to be relatively constant. The capillarity of the wicking could draw fuel over an ever-increasing flame area as the fuel body descends were the core not consumed by the edge of the flame.

Where stern wicks are employed the core still must be consumed but the importance of the core being brought to the edge of the flame is not as critical since the flame is regulated by the wick size. With stem Wicks in particular, it is of the greatest importance that the core, while burnable, is not able to sustain capillary action.

Any capillarity which might be found in wood cores is limited to a sufliciently small area of outer surface as to be ineffective as a wick in itself without further treatment as may be seen in my Ser. No. 406,037 now abandoned in favor of my continuation-in-part application, Ser. No. 577,268, filed the 6th day of September 1966.

In the present application, reference to rigidity of the core refers to a local stiffness and toughness against breaking. A core of the present invention over any great length may be flexible and resilient, but in any short area in particular, it is stitf, having sufficient stiffness to impart a strength to a surrounding solid body of fuel. A core of the present invention may be brittle yet have strength against breaking before it reaches its brittle breaking point to provide a non-delicate snine for a candle or the like or even to support a float or decoration.

The core may be made of any number of different substances as long as there is propcr selection as to burnability and preferably Without residue, rigidity without overbrittleness and control over capillarity in most instances so that flame size may be controlled. Consumable plastics, woods and even fibers impregnated with substances such as shellac may be used to provide rigid cores. Each substance may need its optional adaptation for use. For instance, hellac impregnated fiber must be thoroughly impregnated to k ep it rigid and nonporous.

According to the present invention, a novel rigid core- Wick combination is provided for candles and other illuminating buming devices, either independently or as an invention combination. The present invention includes the novel combination of a decoration adapted to descend with the fuel body of a burning illuminating device guided by a rigid core.

Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed out in the claims, the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be further understood by reference to the description following and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cut-away front elevation of a candle with one embodiment of the wick-core of the present invention.

FIG. 2 (ag) is a section plan view of an optional selection of core configurations.

FIG. 2h is a front elevation of a twisted spiral core configuration.

FIG. 3 is a candle with a rider and decoration mounted on a core-wick configuration of the present invention.

Referring now to the figures in greater detail, where like reference numbers denote like parts in the various figures.

The candle 1 as shown in FIG. 1 provides a simple solution to the problem of consumption of the wick 2 and the core 3 which is set apart from the wick 2. In this instance, the wick 2 may make a natural bend to the edge of the fiarne 5 where the carbonized end is consumed and the bottom edge 'of the flame 5 may consume and carry away the ash of the rigid core 3 completely, whether the core 3 be wood, such as basswood or bamboo or plastic. The rigid core 3 should never burn independently as a wick, but can burn slightly to help consume itself. The core 3 should not be of appreciable independent capillary action. T he wick 2 and the core 3 must be set far enough apart so they do not come in contact with each other. Materials such as bamboo can be used with this method in heavy rods and will burn with a soft ash that is easily carried away by the flame 5. If bamboo were in contact with the wicking it would become tough and leathery and could not be consumed well by the flame 5 and might continue to build up, leaving the flame size uncontrolled.

In FIGS. 2 a-g, various circumferences of core 3 are shown. While almost any shape may work with the proper combination of candle size, various core shapes have certain advantages, especially with wicks such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Wooden cores 3 shaped as shown in FIG. 2a, a, e and j are especially valuable since they tend to be more quickly consumed and leave no residue especially when used with full length wicks such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 2h is a front elevation of a spiral twisted core 3 which may be used in special application with various selected riders among other things.

'In FIG. 3 a decoration 6 is attached by arms 11 to a support ring 7 with a core 3 and wick 2 substantially as shown in the candle 1 in FIG. 1. A safety guide 9 tends to keep the wick 2 and rider tube 10, which is on the core 3:

and fastened to the guide 9, the desired'distance apart and tends to stabilize against irregular burning.

The combination of'rider and core also allows a rider or decoration to descend with the burning of the-candle without having to rely on the support of the outer periphery of waxv for support of the rider or decoration as in the case of riders of the past.

Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed out in the claims, the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out may be further understood by reference to the description following and the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described certain forms of the invention in some detail, what is claimed is:

1. In 'a candle a rigid wick-core configuration comprising a wick portion, said wick portion adapted to normal capillarity, a non-metallic core portion; said core portion bein of non-explosive material; said core portion adapted to be consumed by a dame on said wick portion as said wick portions burns; said core portion being rigid and adapted to rigidly support itself over its length, and said wick and core portions disposed'in substantially parallel relationship, said core and 'wick portions being laterally disposed in said candle substantially without contacting each other along their length.

2. The invention of claim 1 including a rider adapted to descend with the consumption of said core portion.

3. The invention of claim 2 including guide means on said rider adapted to guide said wick portion as said wick and core portions are consumed by the flame on said wick.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein said rider includes means to support optional objects on said rider adapted to descend with said rider as said rider is slidably supported by said core.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 188,689 8/1960 Wolfsohn.

1,184,511 5/1916 Bourgeois 67-.51 1,974,037 9/1934 Atkins 67-22 2,001,377 5/1935 Candy 67--22 2,187,053 1/1940 Pratt 6722.5 2,246,346 6/1941 Carroll 675 1 2,254,906 9/ 1941 Petrulis 67-21 2,829,511 4/1958 Oesterle et al. 6722 3,l05,373 10/1963 Villemore et a1 6722 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,396 1/1884 Great Britain. 16,702 1/ 1915 Great Britain. 54,017 10/ 1890 Germany. 486,493 1/1918 France.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.